“The mujahideen valorously put tough resistance against the troops for hours,” Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban fighter, told the Times on Thursday. He added that the dog had electronic devices on him and was a colonel.

Dogs are given ranks superior to that of their handlers, a reminder to treat them with respect.

The video of the dog was studied by SITE Intelligence Group, which specializes in studies of propaganda. Founder Rita Katz said she couldn’t recall ever seeing a dog used as a hostage before.

The video appeared on the Twitter account of a man known to post Taliban messages.